The present invention relates generally to graphics processing, and more particularly to using shader hardware to perform cylindrical wrapping in a graphics processor.
The demand for increased realism in computer graphics for games and other applications has been steady for some time now and shows no signs of abating. This has placed stringent performance requirements on computer system components, particularly graphics processors. For example, to generate improved images, ever increasing amounts of data and instructions need to be processed by a graphics processing unit.
Fortunately, the engineers at NVIDIA Corporation in Santa Clara, Calif. have developed a new type of processing circuit that is capable of meeting these demands. This new circuit is based on the concept of several single-instruction, multiple-data processors operating in parallel. These new processors are capable of simultaneously executing hundreds of processes.
One function that needs to be processed on a graphics processor is referred to as a “wrap” or “texture wrap.” A wrap is a projection of a texture on to an object. One specific type of a wrap is a cylindrical wrap. A simple example of this is where a rectangular texture is wrapped around a cylindrical object, though other shaped textures and objects may be cylindrically wrapped.
Conventional circuits perform cylindrical wrapping using dedicated hardware, that is, circuitry implemented specifically for this purpose. However, the cylindrical wrapping function is no longer supported by current graphics standards, though an ability to perform this function is still needed for legacy purposes. Accordingly, it is undesirable to use dedicated circuitry for this function.
Thus, what is needed are circuits, methods, and apparatus for performing cylindrical wrapping in software without the need for a dedicated hardware circuit.